diff --git a/src/arena.cpp b/src/arena.cpp
index 4388331..f3485b3 100644
--- a/src/arena.cpp
+++ b/src/arena.cpp
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ Result<PodObject*> Arena::gc_pod(PodObject* obj) {
       return gc_module((PodModule*)obj);
     case Tag::Stack:
       return gc_stack((PodStack*)obj);
+    case Tag::Error:
+      return gc_error((PodError*)obj);
   }
 
   return ERROR(TypeMismatch);
@@ -264,6 +266,16 @@ Result<PodObject*> Arena::gc_stack(PodStack* obj) {
   return nobj;
 }
 
+Result<PodObject*> Arena::gc_error(PodError* obj) {
+  auto nobj = TRY(alloc<PodError>());
+  nobj->header.tag = Tag::Error;
+
+  nobj->name = TRY(gc_pod(obj->name.get()));
+  nobj->message = TRY(gc_pod(obj->message.get()));
+
+  return nobj;
+}
+
 Arena& get_arena() {
   if (current_arena == 0) die("Arena not set\n");
   return *current_arena;
diff --git a/src/arena.hpp b/src/arena.hpp
index 6270020..af51b95 100644
--- a/src/arena.hpp
+++ b/src/arena.hpp
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ class Arena {
   Result<PodObject*> gc_stdlib_function(PodStdlibFunction* obj);
   Result<PodObject*> gc_module(PodModule* obj);
   Result<PodObject*> gc_stack(PodStack* obj);
+  Result<PodObject*> gc_error(PodError* obj);
 
   void add_root(GcRootList* node) { _gcroot.insert(node); }
 
diff --git a/src/common.cpp b/src/common.cpp
index 7821582..014c51d 100644
--- a/src/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ Result<Value> Value::create(PodObject* obj) {
       return Value(TRY(Module::create((PodModule*)obj)));
     case Tag::Stack:
       return Value(TRY(Stack::create((PodStack*)obj)));
+    case Tag::Error:
+      return Value(TRY(Error::create((PodError*)obj)));
   };
   return Value();
 }
@@ -314,6 +316,28 @@ Result<void> Stack::settop(uint64_t idx) {
   return Result<void>();
 }
 
+Result<Value> Error::copy_value() const {
+  return Value(Error(TRY(_value.copy())));
+}
+Result<Error> Error::copy() const { return Error(TRY(_value.copy())); }
+
+Result<Value> Error::name() const { return Value::create(_value->name.get()); }
+Result<Value> Error::message() const {
+  return Value::create(_value->message.get());
+}
+
+Result<short> Error::cmp(const Error& rhs) const {
+  auto lhs_name = TRY(name());
+  auto rhs_name = TRY(rhs.name());
+  short res = TRY(lhs_name.cmp(rhs_name));
+  if (res != 0) return res;
+
+  auto lhs_message = TRY(message());
+  auto rhs_message = TRY(rhs.message());
+  res = TRY(lhs_message.cmp(rhs_message));
+  return res;
+}
+
 Result<Pair> Pair::create(const Value& first, const Value& rest) {
   auto pod = TRY(arena_alloc<PodPair>());
   pod->header.tag = Tag::Pair;
diff --git a/src/common.hpp b/src/common.hpp
index 2de9afc..e28e3da 100644
--- a/src/common.hpp
+++ b/src/common.hpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class ByteArray;
 class Writer;
 class Opcode;
 class Stack;
+class Error;
 class Function;
 class StdlibFunction;
 class Module;
@@ -102,6 +103,9 @@ class Object {
   virtual Result<short> cmp(const Stack& rhs) const {
     return ERROR(NotImplemented);
   }
+  virtual Result<short> cmp(const Error& rhs) const {
+    return cmp_tag(tag(), Tag::Error);
+  }
 
   virtual Result<Value> add(const Object&) const;
   virtual Result<Value> add(const Int64&) const;
@@ -1130,6 +1134,48 @@ class Stack : public Object {
   GcRoot<PodStack> _value;
 };
 
+class Error : public Object {
+ public:
+  Error() {}
+  Error(Error&& rhs) : _value(std::move(rhs._value)) {}
+  Error(GcRoot<PodError>&& val) : _value(std::move(val)) {}
+
+  virtual Tag tag() const final { return Tag::Error; }
+  virtual PodObject* pod() const final { return _value.get(); }
+  virtual Result<short> cmp(const Object& rhs) const final {
+    return -TRY(rhs.cmp(*this));
+  }
+  virtual Result<short> cmp(const Error& rhs) const final;
+
+  virtual void move(Object* obj) final { new (obj) Error(std::move(_value)); }
+
+  static Result<Error> create(PodError* obj) {
+    return Error(TRY(MkGcRoot(obj)));
+  }
+
+  static Result<Error> create(const char* name, const char* message) {
+    auto name_str = TRY(Symbol::create(name));
+    auto message_str = TRY(String::create(message));
+
+    auto pod = TRY(arena_alloc<PodError>());
+    pod->header.tag = Tag::Error;
+
+    pod->name = name_str.pod();
+    pod->message = message_str.pod();
+
+    return Error(TRY(MkGcRoot(pod)));
+  }
+
+  Result<Value> name() const;
+  Result<Value> message() const;
+
+  virtual Result<Value> copy_value() const final;
+  Result<Error> copy() const;
+
+ private:
+  GcRoot<PodError> _value;
+};
+
 // note: this class doesn't perform proper destruction of objects in some cases
 class Value {
  public:
diff --git a/src/compiler.cpp b/src/compiler.cpp
index 1ab1349..523d35d 100644
--- a/src/compiler.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler.cpp
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ Result<Expression> Compiler::compile_expr(Context& context, const Value& expr) {
     case Tag::StdlibFunction:
     case Tag::Module:
     case Tag::Stack:
+    case Tag::Error:
       return ERROR(TypeMismatch);
   }
   return ERROR(TypeMismatch);
diff --git a/src/pod.hpp b/src/pod.hpp
index 5054e02..8432ce9 100644
--- a/src/pod.hpp
+++ b/src/pod.hpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ enum class Tag : uint8_t {
   StdlibFunction,
   Module,
   Stack,
+  Error,
 };
 
 template <class T>
@@ -200,6 +201,14 @@ class PodStack final : public PodObject {
   OffPtr<PodObject> data[];
 };
 
+class PodError final : public PodObject {
+ public:
+  PodError() : PodObject(Tag::Error) {};
+
+  OffPtr<PodObject> name;
+  OffPtr<PodObject> message;
+};
+
 template <class T>
 class Ptr {
  public:
diff --git a/src/writer.cpp b/src/writer.cpp
index ee41057..2017dba 100644
--- a/src/writer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ Result<String> Writer::write_one(const Value& obj) {
       return write_module(*obj.to<Module>());
     case Tag::Stack:
       return write_stack(*obj.to<Stack>());
+    case Tag::Error:
+      return write_error(*obj.to<Error>());
   };
   return String();
 }
@@ -376,6 +378,10 @@ Result<String> Writer::write_stack(const Stack& val) {
   return TRY(String::create("#<stack>"));
 }
 
+Result<String> Writer::write_error(const Error& val) {
+  return TRY(String::create("#<error>"));
+}
+
 Result<String> write_one(const Value& value) {
   auto w = Writer();
   return w.write_one(value);
diff --git a/src/writer.hpp b/src/writer.hpp
index 84e3e30..bc79004 100644
--- a/src/writer.hpp
+++ b/src/writer.hpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Writer {
   Result<String> write_stdlib_function(const StdlibFunction& val);
   Result<String> write_module(const Module& val);
   Result<String> write_stack(const Stack& val);
+  Result<String> write_error(const Error& val);
 };
 
 Result<String> write_one(const Value& value);